


Just a Bad Dream

by i_zu_mo



Series: Banana Fish Tumblr Prompts [2]
Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, Polyamory, Shorter has nightmares, Spoilers for episode 9
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-07
Updated: 2018-09-07
Packaged: 2019-07-08 07:38:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15925865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_zu_mo/pseuds/i_zu_mo
Summary: Things turn out differently, but Shorter is having a hard time letting go of what could have happened.





	Just a Bad Dream

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know how comforting this turned out to be... I like the idea of exploring alternate realities, and this prompt actually gave me an idea for a longer story I might write out someday.
>
>> Prompt: Okay, here is the writing prompt :D First at all: Fluff. Them sleeping in a big king size bed together. One of them having a nightmare. The other two comforting him.

Eiji doesn’t remember what he’d been dreaming about before his eyes cracked open, and even in his sleep-dazed state he knows that maybe - or maybe a little more than maybe - that’s a good thing. He blinks against the darkness, waits for his pupils to draw in as much light as they can. His eyes ache dully and his head is swimming like he’s drunk (which isn’t something he has a lot of experience with, but still, he _knows_ ) and it takes him a moment to realize, and then to process, that Ash’s face is only inches in front of his. The other boy’s eyes are closed and his long honey lashes flutter at the edge of his skin. He reminds Eiji of an old oil painting. One of an angel. **  
**

Eiji holds his breath and listens. Ash is breathing deeply, peace seeming to have finally settled over him for now. It’s a small blessing, but it’s one Eiji is immensely grateful for. Ash’s arms are tucked up close to Eiji’s chest and there’s one long leg stretched out across his calves. Something warm stirs in Eiji’s stomach. These peaceful moments are increasingly rare and fleeting, but they’re precious. He smiles and reaches his hand up to brush back messy blond bangs and presses a dry kiss to Ash’s forehead. 

Ash shifts and sighs and mumbles something that sounds vaguely grumpy, and Eiji snorts soundlessly before nuzzling him and turning to check on Shorter. 

His other boyfriend is on his back with one arm across his stomach and the second splayed to his side, and there’s something about him that’s quieter than usual, something that makes Eiji pause propped up on one elbow. He studies Shorter’s profile in the darkness, traces the soft curve of his nose and the round line of his cheekbone with his eyes.

What a handsome man. 

His hand finds the hard plane of Shorter’s broad chest, and that’s when he understands why he isn’t snoring like usual. Shorter’s breathing is strained, like he’s having trouble getting enough air, and Eiji can feel the muscles over his rib cage tighten with every inhale. 

Suddenly, as if triggered by Eiji’s touch, Shorter gasps and makes a sound more broken than anything Eiji has ever heard from him - and then he makes another and barks out a cry and begins to whimper. The warmth in Eiji’s stomach turns icy and trails panicked goosebumps up his arms. There’s something on the edge of Shorter’s whines, like there’s more he’s trying to get out, words he’s desperately trying to say.

Eiji sits up quickly and leans over him and gingerly holds his face in his hands. “Shorter?” he half-whispers urgently, watching with clenching worry in his gut as Shorter’s eyebrows knit together, as he grunts out another broken sound between gritted teeth. “Shorter! Please wake up!”

Mercifully, Shorter’s eyes fly open and he sucks in a huge breath and shoots up, almost knocking his head into Eiji’s hovering face. Eiji is stunned for a second, but then he’s up against his side, trying to steady him with shaking hands.

Shorter clutches loosely at the blankets. He seems confused, like he’s not entirely awake yet. The back of his tank top is soaked in sweat. 

“Shorter, it’s okay, you are awake,” Eiji soothes, rubbing his hand across his back, ignoring the stickiness of his skin. “Are you okay…?” 

Shorter flinches at his voice then turns and looks at him, and even in the dim moonlight Eiji can see the alarm in his eyes. For a heartbeat, he looks absolutely terrified. 

“Eiji…” he mumbles, and soon that wild look shifts to one of pure agony. He reaches a big hand out and his fingertips graze Eiji’s cheek, and he’s looking at him now like he’s never seen another human being before. 

He touches along Eiji’s face as if he’s forming some kind of mental reconstruction, drags his fingers across Eiji’s brow bone and then down to his chin and jawline. Eiji shivers.

“Shorter…?” he murmurs, concern heavy in his voice, and the vibration of him speaking seems to snap Shorter out of his daze. 

Shorter stares at him with big glassy eyes before Eiji feels two strong arms wrap around his body and pull him against his chest. Up close his skin is hot, almost feverish, and his arms form a vice-like grip, one hand cradling Eiji’s head. Eiji feels him press his face into his shoulder. 

They say nothing, Eiji says nothing, just wraps his arms around Shorter’s middle and holds him tightly. The other man is trembling. 

“You’re okay…” Shorter whispers, sounding like it’s halfway to himself, and Eiji moves his arms up so he can tangle his fingers in Shorter’s thick mohawk. His other hand scratches lightly at the buzzed part of his scalp. 

They stay like that for a long time, silent minutes passing. A million questions race through Eiji’s mind, though deep down he already knows the answers to all of them.

Finally, reluctantly, they pull apart and Eiji reaches up to cup Shorter’s face in his hands and worriedly searches his damp brown eyes. Shorter stares back, huffing out strained little breaths. Eiji leans in again to brush their noses together sweetly. 

“I am here…” he hums, smoothing a hand across Shorter’s chest, finding his heartbeat and pressing against it. There’s a pause that’s too long, but then Shorter’s hand finds Eiji’s and closes around it. His fingertips are calloused. “It was only a bad dream.”

Shorter just shuts his eyes. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Eiji asks softly, nosing at his cheek. Shorter hesitates, and then lets his head drop forward and leans his forehead against Eiji’s. 

“They took you… and it was my fault,” he gasps out, and Eiji can see tears at the corners of his eyes. “I thought I was— I thought I could keep everyone safe. They took both of you, and—“ He swallows hard a few times. They both do. Eiji pets his face patiently, closes his eyes and wordlessly tries to coax Shorter to match his breathing. 

“They drugged me, they made it so that I—“ he chokes and Eiji feels his arms close around him again. “You… I-I hurt you, I almost _killed_ you, and Ash was there and they had him chained up and…”

“Shh…” Eiji coos, stroking Shorter’s hair again, trying to work out the knot lodged deep in his throat. “It was only a bad dream… It’s not what happened.”

Shorter is clenching his teeth and crying in hitching breaths, his forehead still pressed against Eiji’s, and Eiji feels his fingers pull through his hair. “It could have– it almost did– they _had_ us, Eiji, they had _you_. They were going to give me that drug and… I don’t know what I would have done to you. To Ash. Because I’m a coward.”

“You’re not a coward,” comes a soft, sleepy voice beside them, and Eiji turns to see Ash sitting up. His hair is an absolute mess, fluffy and sticking out at odd angles. In any other situation, Eiji would have laughed. Ash scoots closer and reaches out and rests a pale hand on Shorter’s shoulder. His pretty green eyes are sad. “You said so yourself, Shorter: you thought you were doing what you needed to do in order to keep everyone safe.”

“I _betrayed_ you,” Shorter says bitterly, own eyes averted, like it’s too hard, too painful to look at his best friend. 

“We’re the ones who get to decide that,” Ash says, his voice light. He takes Shorter’s hand and squeezes it, draws it closer to his face.

Eiji looks back up at Shorter and offers a small smile, tries to help him understand the sincerity of his feelings. “Ash is right.” he says simply, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. It usually is. Shorter sighs, and Eiji pushes his hair up and kisses his forehead. “So please don’t say those things about yourself.”

“Yeah,” he whispers back. His voice is as thin as paper. 

**Author's Note:**

> Come send me asheiji/ashoreiji/ashorter/shoreiji prompts @ i-zu-mo.tumblr.com!


End file.
